Rachel Halvorsen of Turweston is concerned about the HS2 earthworks compound.'140213M-D372

Published:15:03Sunday 16 February 2014

Excavation and preparatory works for the proposed HS2 railway line could create huge traffic concerns for Brackley residents and commuters, it is feared.

A Brackley Road ‘overbridge satellite compound’ – which is mentioned in a 55,000 pages HS2 environmental statement – will be based just a few hundred yards along the A422 Buckingham Road from Brackley and will ‘have an associated roadhead for the receipt, storage and transfer of earthworks material route-wide’.

Former Conservative South Northants district councillor Rachel Halvorsen, who lives on the A43, has said it is another blow for those living near the proposed route.

She said: “Brackley residents are now being hit in three ways.

“They will suffer the scar and noise of HS2 in their locality for the foreseeable future, they will be paying an average of £1,400 to £1,500 out of their taxes to pay for building it – plus subsidies for its operation for generations – and they will be hit by years of traffic congestion during construction, but most of them will never use the line as the nearest station is at Birmingham.

“Worse still, local services could be cut, resulting in fewer trains to London from places like Northampton as HS2 takes the longer route travellers.”

In operation for three years from 2017, the Brackley Road compound includes a 17-month period of peak activity, during which it is estimated that the daily number of HGV trips to and from the site will hit between 1,700 and 2,860.

This works out at about one heavy goods vehicle every 10 seconds.

A similar compound will be hosted at Turweston and will be in operation from 2017.

Granular material gained from the Turweston cutting is intended for construction purposes and so transporting this material will be via the A422 Brackley Road.